Green Heron

[Joseph Przybyla]

This image is from the past that I did over today with new skills and tools. I found this Green Heron perched on the bush shown in the image. I set up and locked focus capturing a few images of the perched bird. Then I waited, and waited hoping the bird would take flight. Finally it happened, I captured a burst of images. Comments and critique welcomed and appreciated. Thank you for viewing.

Nikon D500
Nikon 80-400mm VR AF-S ED, camera and lens supported by a Oben carbon fiber monopod with a Wimberly MonoGimbal head
1/2000 F/7.1 Matrix Metering EV +1 ISO 1000 Auto WB, image captured at 280mm (420mm 35mm Equivalent)
Post processed in Lightroom Classic, Photoshop CC 2023 and Topaz Denoise AI
Cropped and canvas added to the left side for composition and presentation

P.S. Learn more about Circle B Bar Reserve in the BAA Middle Florida Photography Site Guide that Artie and I co-authored. It is available at this link https://birdsasart-shop.com/the-baa-...ic-site-guide/

[Brian Sump]

Joe, I think this is not only a really cool frame (I personally don't see many GH in flight), I think you did quite a good job processing it.

Very solid light and flight angle, the rich greens compliment nicely and although the perch is a bit busy, being in the far right side and the diagonal effect both really assist the overall viewing.

The only suggestion I could offer to improve it would be to go 16x9 with some off the top and maybe a little left.

Well done overall from here.

[Joseph Przybyla]

Joe, I think this is not only a really cool frame (I personally don't see many GH in flight), I think you did quite a good job processing it.

Very solid light and flight angle, the rich greens compliment nicely and although the perch is a bit busy, being in the far right side and the diagonal effect both really assist the overall viewing.

The only suggestion I could offer to improve it would be to go 16x9 with some off the top and maybe a little left.

Well done overall from here.

Hi Brian. thank you for viewing and commenting. After reading your comments I smiled, originally I had post the image as a 16x9 then changed it to a 2x3. Here is the 16x9.

[Brian Sump]

Joe, personally I much prefer it in the latter format

[Joseph Przybyla]

Joe, personally I much prefer it in the latter format

Thanks for coming back, much appreciated.

[Joseph Przybyla]

Here is another version of the image with the bush removed in Photoshop using Artie's divide and conquer. WDYT?

[Bill Dix]

Very nice flight capture, Joe. Given the obvious take-off pose, I think the bush adds to the story; but nice frame either way.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Nice shot, I would leave the bush and lower the saturation of the greens, I find them a little dominant.